Mary Lillian Veazey Chatlosh

Mary Lillian Veazey was born Aug. 4, to Joseph Benoit (Ben) Veazey and Margaret Noelie (Broussard) Veazey. She started life and grew up on a houseboat on the Sabine River in Orange in the 1920s and 30s with her parents, brother and sister, attending Curtis Elementary, St. Mary School, and Orange High School and dreaming of becoming a writer. .

She met the love of her life, Alfred Nicholas Chatlosh of Stephenson, Mi., and they married Feb. 15. While raising five children, Lillian was a correspondent for The Orange Leader from the late 1950s through the early 1980s covering local, school, church and social news for, at various times, West Orange, Pinehurst, Little Cypress, and the Deweyville area. A prolific feature writer, she was well-known for her many published articles about Orange-area people and their talents.

Lillian was also the Orange correspondent for The Texas Catholic Herald / East Texas Catholic newspaper. Lillian loved the Lord and her Church and served both well. An active member of St. Mary Catholic Church, she was also a supporter of St. Mary School and the Legion of Mary.

Lillian was an avid organic gardener, loved craft work and drawing, and oil painting, and spent years gathering genealogical information and stories on both the Veazey and Chatlosh families.

Her long, productive and meaningful earthly life was completed on Feb. 17, following a lengthy illness. She lived her final years with a son in Beaumont, but West Orange was home.

Lillian was preceded in death by her parents, sister Verna Mae Shinnick, brother Joseph Ben Veazey, Jr., her husband, and eldest son Alan Chatlosh.

She is survived by sons, Tommy Chatlosh of Beaumont, Clifford Chatlosh and wife Denise of Orange; daughter, Angela Svetlik of Spring; daughter-in-law, Elaine Chatlosh of Orangefield; grandchildren, Lori Anne Broussard, James Chatlosh, Ronnie Chatlosh, Bradley Chatlosh, Nicholas Chatlosh, Carrie Chatlosh, Tanny Chatlosh, Jennifer Svetlik, Christopher Svetlik, and Max Svetlik; and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Visitation will begin at 600 pm Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange, with a Rosary at 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 2:00 pm at St. Mary Catholic Church, with interment following at St. Mary Cemetery in Orange. Officiating will be Monsignor William Manger of St. Anne Catholic Church in Beaumont.

The family is grateful to Dr. Michael Amsden, the nurses, staff and volunteers of Southeast Texas Hospice for their loving care and support; and to Emily Gilman, David Puglia, and Juanita Walker for assisting in care.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Southeast Texas Hospice, 912 Cherry Avenue, Orange, TX 77630.